Which track is called 'The Lady in Black'?

Which track is called “The Lady in Black”? Darlington Raceway is the answer. The South Carolina oval earned the nickname from its dark racing surface and its intimidating reputation among drivers.

Darlington opened in 1950 and was NASCAR’s first superspeedway. Its unusual egg-shaped layout has two ends with different cornering characteristics, making it difficult for teams to find a setup that works equally well throughout a lap. The track is 1.366 miles long, with turns that challenge cars in different ways.

The nickname is commonly linked to the black asphalt sealant applied before early races, which gave the circuit a freshly darkened appearance. Darlington’s other famous nickname, “The Track Too Tough to Tame,” points to its unforgiving walls and narrow margins for error.

When a driver brushes the outside wall at Darlington, the scraped paint left on the right side of the car is known as a “Darlington Stripe.” That tradition is part of why the track remains one of NASCAR’s most distinctive venues.